Josh Barnett vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira 1
The fight was in the semifinals of the Pride 2006 openweight grand prix. The Fight The first round began. They exchanged right off, Nogueira landed a counter right. Nogueira landed a left to the body there. Nogueira landed an overhand right. Nogueira landed a counter left hook, they clinched and broke. Nice exchange. Another. Barnett landed a right and ate a counter, they clinched. Nogueira landed a right inside, Barnett kneed the thigh. He kneed the body. They broke. Barnett landed a right, ate a combo to the body. Barnett kneed the body and landed a leg kick and a nice jab. Nogueira landed a right to the clinch there. Barnett kneed the body and again. Nogueira replied with one. Again. Barnett kneed the gut and again there and broke with a left hook dropping Nogueira and pouncing to half-guard. Nogueira regained guard, wow. Nogueira seems recovered. Nogueira landed right hammerfists from the bottom and ate a left. Barnett passed nicely to side control. "That's called a punch pass." Nogueira got the butterflies and ate a right, landed an upkick. Barnett passed to half-guard. Short rights from Nogueira, Nogueira has a cut on the left eye there. It's remants from the Werdum fight reopened. Nogueira wants a leglock or single, stood with the single attempt. Barnett stuffed it. Nogueira got a trip to guard. He passed to half-guard. Nogueira passed beautifully to side control. Five minutes left. Nogueira landed some short lefts, two knees to the body there now. "Watch that arm!" A few more short lefts. "Blow out of there!" Erik Paulson called. Nogueira kneed the body, Barnett tried a sweep but regained half-guard at least. "Watch the arm, Josh!" Barnett defended the kimura. Nogueira landed two lefts and three rights. Barnett swept out nicely and stood to the clinch, Barnett tried a tight standing guillotine, the crowd roared. Barnett kneed the body on the break. Barnett kneed the body. They clinched. Barnett kneed the body and they broke. Three minutes left. Barnett stuffed the double, Nogueira has the standing back body lock, dragged Barnett down, Barnett rolled for a leglock now. Nogueira turned out on top to side control. A few short lefts. He is isolating that arm. Nogueira mounted. Nogueira landed two rights and three lefts, three more. A right hammerfist, four or five more now, a big left. Another. Nogueira landed two right hammerfists. One minute left. Nogueira tried an americana, dropped back for an armbar, he has this. Barnett's defending desperately. He's escaping. Nogueira kept trying hard. Barnett is struggling. He escaped to guard. Side control. Wow. Barnett landed a right hammerfist. Five more. The first round ended. WOW. The second round began. Barnett defended a single. He stuffed it. Nogueira worked another, Barnett sprawled. Nogueira pulled half-guard. Nogueira regained guard, the half-butterfly. Right hammerfists from the bottom. More. Short lefts. Barnett landed two rights, Nogueira swept nicely to guard grabbing the foot, wow. Nogueira worked lefts to the head and body. Three minutes left. Body-body-head with the left hands there. More. Nogueira landed more lefts, rights now to body and head, nice. A left hammerfist up top there now. Nogueira passed to half-guard stuffing a sweep. He mounted beautifully. Nogueira landed short left hands. Barnett swept beautifully to guard. The ref moved them away from the ropes, to the center. Both men are tired. Nogueira's eye looks bad, he ate another right on it. Nogueira swept beautifully and has the back, wow.. He has a hook in. Barnett complained of something. Barnett escaped beautifully to guard, wow there. He landed a stomp to the face, passing to half-guard. Thirty seconds. Barnett's working for a kimura now. He went for an armbar, or.. a kneebar there. Nogueira's defending. Barnett elbowed the trapped arm four times, went for a kneebar there as well again hard. Wow good fight. They exchanged words on the ground. Nogueira's exhausted. So is Barnett.